How to Treat Acne Scars

Acne, especially the more severe cases, can be disfiguring. It leaves behind scars and skin blemishes that can take time to heal completely and disappear. Deep infected pimples and cysts may cause permanent scars and make a mess of one’s self-esteem and social life. If you happen to be a victim of nasty breakouts and want to get your confidence back, you may want to check out these tips on how to treat acne scars:

Here are some natural ways to heal acne scars:

• Lemon juice – lemon juice is a natural skin whitener and exfoliant and can therefore reduce acne scar discoloration. Just apply it on your face and leave it on for at least 15 minutes (you may leave it on overnight if you want). It does not treat acne per se but works wonders on reducing acne scars. If you have sensitive skin and have been using acne topicals, don’t use lemon juice right away but let your skin rest from these medications for a few days.  Lemon juice is also a great astringent and very good at removing excess oil from your skin. Not to mention it smells good!
• Cucumber and tomato mask – Cucumber juice soothes inflammation, tightens the pores, and bleaches the skin gently. Using cucumber by itself may lessen acne scars but if you want a more effective remedy, create a cucumber and tomato paste by blending ¼ cup of cucumber with ¼ cup of tomatoes in a blender and apply it to your face for 20 minutes before rinsing off. The action of cucumber plus the vitamin A and antioxidants in tomatoes will do soften your skin and improve the appearance of your acne scars.
• Rosehip Oil – oil from rosehip seeds is effective for reducing scars including those caused by acne. Simply massage in the affected areas twice a day for at least 2 weeks and you should start seeing results. Rosehip oil reduces acne scars by promoting new skin growth and collagen formation.

If you prefer clinical procedures to treat acne scars you may want to consider the following:

• Chemical peeling – this method involves the use of high potency acids to peel away the upper layer of skin. This method works for superficial acne scars but it also serves to remove other skin blemishes and discoloration. Commonly used acids include alphahydroxyl acids, betahydroxyl acids, and trichloroacetic acid (TCA).
• Laser resurfacing – this procedure is done by a dermatologist and uses a laser to remove the damaged upper layer of the skin. Newly treated skin may actually look worse and reddened but new collagen soon forms and scar remodeling follows.
• Microdermabrasion – this procedure uses very fine aluminum crystals to remove the top layer of the skin. Aside from the face, this procedure for body acne scars. It is also used to improve sun damaged areas of the face , body, or arms. It is useful for superficial acne scars.